Christmas Fanfic for CrystalDrake

“Physical force is the last resort,” a scrawny old shriveled man clad in red stated. His thin facial hair, wrinkles, and age spots decorated the serious expression on his face.

Zhao looked around at the fresh blood. Sure some of where big, but most of them were doughy. Kids these days. They think that just because they’re big they have what it takes. He rested his head on his hand’ apparently they did, or at least enough of what it takes to get hired. What was the world coming to?

He wished physical altercations were a bigger part of the job. He’d love to have an excuse to wipe the self-satisfied expressions off of some of the new recruits. But then again, he could just put a couple of them on door. He often did that to bouncers he didn’t like. It was the most tedious, yet dangerous, position. Being on the floor was relatively safe and easy, you just had to stop drunks from getting more drinks or fighting each other. Being on the door, you had to check IDs, keep counts, and turn people away. People who didn’t take being turned away lightly and could come back with five friends.

Zhao lit a cigarette, inhaled and blew smoke out his nose. This namby-pamby lot wasn’t going to last long. He bet half would quit after the first week. He looked at them sternly, to see how they reacted. The men who made good bouncers wouldn’t react at all. The ones who reacted with fear just didn’t have what it took. The ones who reacted by upping the ante were the potential liabilities. A bouncer’s job was to defuse situations, not escalate them.

There was one who did alright. Jee was his name. Pity. Zhao wanted to like him, so at least there’d be one who survived out of the lot of recruits, but he couldn’t like the man. The owner’s son had recommended him. If there was anyone Zhao didn’t like, it was the son of the owner. Total brat. Whiney, skinny, weak. Zhao was glad he didn’t have any kids that he knew of. He’d be too afraid that they’d turn out like Zuko.